In a surprising move, Kathy Bates has announced her retirement, just two weeks before the release of her latest show, Matlock. The 76-year-old Academy Award-winning actress plays Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a sharp-witted lawyer in the reboot of the beloved ‘80s and ‘90s TV series, which originally starred Andy Griffith.
The new series, created by Charmed producer Jennie Snyder Urman, also features Jason Ritter, Skye P. Marshall, David Del Rio, and Leah Lewis. Matlock is set to premiere on CBS on September 22, but Bates has revealed this will be her final project.
Speaking to The New York Times, Bates shared that she had originally planned to retire after a challenging movie project — one she refused to name — left her in tears. About her new role, she said:
“Everything I’ve prayed for, worked for, clawed my way up for, I am suddenly able to use all of it. And it’s exhausting. This is my last dance.”
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Reflecting on her career, Bates described it as full of struggles: “Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain. But do I have the right to feel this pain? When I was given so much?”
Bates has had an illustrious career spanning decades. She won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her chilling portrayal of nurse Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990).
She also earned two Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in American Horror Story and Two and a Half Men, and another Golden Globe for her performance as Jay Leno’s manager in The Late Shift.
Despite her success, Bates admitted she never aspired to be a movie star. “I just wanted to be the best I could be,” she shared, confessing that she often felt like an outsider in the industry. “I never felt dressed right or well. I felt like a misfit,” she said, referencing her time promoting Misery.
“It’s that line in Misery when Annie says, ‘I’m not a movie star.’ I’m not.” Acting, however, was her true passion. “It was the only thing I’ve had, ever,” Bates confessed.
In the trailer for Matlock, Bates’ character Matty delivers a powerful line: “There’s this funny thing that happens when women age. We become damn near invisible. It’s useful, because nobody sees us coming.”
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Bates admitted that she was drawn to the role for similar reasons, sharing that, like her character, she feels the need to “rectify the wrongs of the past.”
Though her acting career is coming to a close, Kathy Bates’ legacy will undoubtedly continue to shine. Matlock debuts on CBS on September 22, marking the end of an incredible journey for one of Hollywood’s most enduring talents.